Apple Butter Bread

2 cups sifted flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tblsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup milk*
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup apple butter

(I added 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and a dash of ginger.)

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. (You may add additional spices at this time.) Stir in oats. With pastry blender, cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Stir in pecans. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix milk, egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in apple butter until well blended. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Pour batter into greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degree oven 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove; cool on rack.

Wrap in foil. Let stand, over night, in cool dry place before serving. Makes 1 loaf.

*I used 2% milk, which worked just fine.

Comment: We tasted the bread while it was still warm and it was okay. Then we let it cool all the way down and nibbled at it for the next three days. It got yummier and yummier as time went on and the spices had a chance to suffuse through the bread.